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Colin Vallon

After studying classical music for 2 years Colin Vallon (born November 17 1980 in Lausanne) took classes with jazz pianist Marc Ueter at the age of fourteen. He enrolled at the Swiss Jazz School when he was 18 and studied with Silvano Bazan, William Evans, Manuel Bärtsch and Bert Joris.

In 1999, he founds the Colin Vallon trio with Lorenz Beyeler on double-bass and Raphaël Pedroli on drums; in 2004 it released his debut-album « Les Ombres ». At that time, he starts to use and develop his own prepared piano techniques. In January 2005, the trio opens the Swiss Diagonales Festival with New-York guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

2005, he forms a new trio with Patrice Moret on double-bass and Samuel Rohrer on drums and records « Ailleurs » published in 2007 by HatHut Records. «Rruga» the third recording of the trio is released in 2011 on the prestigious international Label ECM Records. In 2012 drummer Julian Sartorius replaces Rohrer in the trio. In 2014 the trio releases « Le Vent » followed in 2017 by « Danse » both albums are released on ECM Records.

The trio is very active on the international jazz scene. Numerous concerts at international festivals (Wilisau, Paris, Vienne, Rome, London, Portland, Montreal, …) and tours in Europe, Canada, USA, Japan, China, South Corea, …

Apart from the trio, since 2020, he leads another group composed of trumpet player Matthieu Michel and drummer Jorge Rossy.

He is also active as a solo performer and plays acoustic piano recitals.

In 2022, he starts a new solo project called « ITCH » with piano, prepared piano, electronics and a surround diffusion of the music. Colin Vallon is also active as a composer. 2014, he writes the music of « Hallo » a the choregraphical piece by Martin Zimmermann. The same year, he takes part to the creation of the documentary Film « Gossenreiter ». In 2015 « Bee-Flat » Bern’s jazz and world music concert club, gives him a Carte Blanche. He presents on this occasion three new projects : « Ocre », a psychedelic rock oriented quartet with Matthieu Michel on trumpet, Flo Götte on bass, Domi Chansorn on drums, « Coriolis » a minimal improvisation quartet with Joy Frempong, voice, Strotter Inst, electronics, Hans Koch, clarinets, and « Fauna », a composition for cellos, harps, saxophones and drums, inspired by the strangeness of the animal world.

2017 he creates the music of Martin Zimmermann’s choreographical piece « Eins, Zwei, Drei » where he performs live on stage on piano, electronics and drums. The « piece » tours from 2017 to 2021 across all Europe and in 2021 he composes the soundtrack to Zimmermann’s new piece « Danse Macabre ».

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Album Review

Colin Vallon: Danse

Read "Danse" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


In questa terza incisione per l'ECM il trio di Colin Vallon prosegue e amplifica quant'aveva evidenziato in Le Vent, inciso nel 2014 con gli stessi partner e caratterizzato da un cambio di direzione rispetto al precedente Rruga (2011), con Samuel Rohrer alla batteria. Se in quest'ultimo lavoro l'interplay improvvisato restava un elemento centrale, combinandosi con tempi elusivi, lunghe iterazioni e riferimenti al camerismo classico e al folklore caucasico, da qualche anno le scelte del pianista privilegiano la composizione orientata verso ...

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Album Review

Colin Vallon / Patrice Moret / Julian Sartorius: Danse

Read "Danse" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Pianist Colin Vallon seems on the verge of a creative breakthrough with his new trio album Danse. With his third ECM trio release Vallon has cemented a personal approach to his music; it is one that has taken time to unfold much like many of his compositions. In his writing, as well as group interplay, the pianist has made a science of exploring open spaces and filling them with nuanced textures or opting for minimalism. Vallon's influences include ...

4
Album Review

Colin Vallon Trio: Le Vent

Read "Le Vent" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


Swiss pianist Colin Vallon's fourth release as a leader, Le Vent is a truly collaborative effort that eschews individual solos in favor of a haunting, collective sound. The results are atmospheric and exquisitely formalistic. This is not to suggest that, because of its ambient nature, the album is without substance. On the contrary, its structure becomes its essence. The title track, for instance, recreates the phenomenon of its name with supreme lyricism. Vallon's resonant, tranquil bars sing the ...

2
Album Review

Colin Vallon Trio: Le Vent

Read "Le Vent" reviewed by Neri Pollastri


Dopo il debutto con l'apprezzato Rruga, il trio svizzero di Colin Vallon torna a registrare, parzialmente rinnovato nell'organico--Julian Sartorius sostituisce il peraltro ottimo Samuel Rohrer--ma costante nelle atmosfere e nei temi, qui quasi interamente della penna del pianista e leader. La musica del trio si basa su una narrazione lirica aperta e non tradizionale, nella quale hanno estrema importanza la delicatezza dei suoni, a tratti quasi romantici, e soprattutto il sapiente ed equilibrato contrasto tra pieni e ...

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Album Review

Colin Vallon Trio: Le Vent

Read "Le Vent" reviewed by John Kelman


When Bill Evans emerged in the 1950s, he represented a paradigm shift for the jazz piano trio. No longer a lead instrument supported by a rhythm section, Evans' more egalitarian approach to music-making allowed delineated soloists to engage in a more fully conversational context, with any instrument capable of pushing the music in a new direction at any moment. Half a century later, Evans' influence can still be felt, but there's been further development, stripping away individual virtuosity and leaving ...

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Album Review

Colin Vallon Trio: Rruga

Read "Rruga" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The piano trio--piano, bass and drums--can seem something of an anachronism in a time when musical artists make use of synthesizers, electronics, laptops and loops to craft their sounds. But scores of pianists still go to the acoustic trio format as one of their primary means of expression. In looking toward jazz veterans, Keith Jarrett and Ahmad Jamal come to mind. With a newer group of artists, it's possible to point to Bill Carrothers, Brad Mehldau, Greg Reitan, and so ...

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Live Review

Colin Vallon Trio: New York, NY, May 20, 2011

Read "Colin Vallon Trio: New York, NY, May 20, 2011" reviewed by Warren Allen


Colin Vallon TrioRubin Museum of ArtNew York, NYMay 20, 2011 New York City's Rubin Museum houses a large collection of fine art from the Himalayans, much of it with religious symbolism. In partnership with the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, the museum has also become a home for a series of new jazz performances on Fridays by innovative artists both young and old. As part of this series, Swiss pianist Colin Vallon brought his ...

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Contest

Enter the "Colin Vallon - Rruga" Giveaway

Enter the "Colin Vallon - Rruga" Giveaway

Source: All About Jazz


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Recording

Colin Vallon Trio "Rruga"

Colin Vallon Trio "Rruga"

Source: ECM Records

Colin Vallon, Patrice Moret and Samuel Rohrer—Rruga Colin Vallon: piano Patrice Moret: double-bass Samuel Rohrer: drums Release Date: May 10, 2011 “Rruga," meaning 'path,' 'road' or 'journey' in Albanian, is the evocative title of the ECM debut by the trio of pianist Colin Vallon, bassist Patrice Moret and drummer Samuel Rohrer (who was previously heard on the ECM recordings “April" with Swiss/Dutch singer Susanne Abbuehl and “Currents" by the Wolfert Brederode Quartet). After shared musical experiences ...

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Recording

Colin Vallon Trio "Rruga"

Colin Vallon Trio "Rruga"

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne

French jazz pianist Colin Vallon's ECM debut is the third disc under his own name, following Les Ombres in 2004 and a disc on the Hatology label, Ailleurs in 2007. Needless to say, an appearance on ECM gives this trio a certain credibility—or cache (more on that later)—and an international presence the previous discs have not offered. The album's ECM-ish title is Albanian for 'path,' 'road' or 'journey,' an absolutely apt description of the trek this trio takes, despite however ...

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Recording

Colin Vallon Trio : Ailleurs on hatOLOGY 636

Colin Vallon Trio : Ailleurs on hatOLOGY 636

Source: All About Jazz

Colin Vallon Trio : Ailleurs on hatOLOGY 636

Colin Vallon - piano, prepared piano Pat Moret - double bass Samuel Rohrer - drums

The members of this trio all share a strong awareness of sound quality and timbre, which sets them apart from other musicians. Three distinct instrumental voices - Colin Vallon's singing piano, Pat Moret's full reverberating bass and Samuel Rohrer's polyvalent drums - blend into a highly complex ensemble sound; here, too, ...

"Vallon’s playing and pieces are tonally dense and rhythmically adept. They have something magic that holds the listener captive.” —Reiner Kobe, Jazzpodium

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Danse

ECM Records
2017

buy

Le Vent

ECM Records
2015

buy

Le Vent

ECM Records
2014

buy

Rruga

ECM Records
2011

buy

Thirty Six Ghosts

Clean Feed Records
2010

buy

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